Method and system for connecting a voice call using a domain name database

ABSTRACT

A method for connecting a telephone call includes receiving, at a server, from a communication terminal, a first message including at least one word corresponding to a name of an individual or an organization, wherein the first message is transmitted using an Internet-compatible protocol; searching for the at least one word in a server database; at the server, comparing the at least one word with domain names stored in the database and, if domain names are found such that at least a part of the domain name matches the word, transmitting to the communication terminal a list of domain names, each domain name including an identifier of an Internet resource; receiving, at the server, a second message containing the domain name selected by the user from the list; identifying a phone number associated with the selected domain name; at the server, transmitting the phone number to the communication terminal; and connecting the communication terminal to the phone number via the communications network.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 12/493,956, filed on Jun. 29, 2009, which is acontinuation-in-part of PCT/RU2007/00295, filed on 4 Jun. 2007, whichclaims priority to Russian Patent Application No. 2007115019, filed on23 Apr. 2007, which are incorporated by reference herein in theirentirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to radio engineering and may be used in searchingfor data in telecommunication network databases, thereby allowing for asignificant extension of capabilities of mobile communication devices indialing communication terminal subscriber numbers. A communicationterminal subscriber number is a unique identifier that can positivelyidentify a particular subscriber in a communication network.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

A method for interpreting object identifiers is known, see US PatentPublication No. 2002165801, published on Nov. 7, 2002. This methodconsists of analyzing a graphic presentation, e.g., a bar codecharacterizing an object, and of obtaining information on that object onthe basis of the analyzed graphic presentation.

Disadvantages of this method are large volumes of data transmitted to aremote server, and obligatory use of an image scanning device in asystem where this conventional method is implemented.

The use of domain names as identifiers is known in the field ofoperating global information networks for the purpose of facilitatingthe use of the Internet, see P. B. Khramtsov, “A Domain Name System,” p.245 (2004).

Every server on the Internet network has its own unique ID code(IP-address), which consists of 12 digits separated by dots into groupsof three digits each. This unique code enables a browser used forviewing websites to find a needed resource, but such a code is hard toremember for a user, and, moreover, it does not characterize thecontents of an Internet resource.

The DNS system (Domain Name Server system) is used to alleviate thisproblem. The DNS system enables associating a domain name, i.e., aletter/alphanumeric designation convenient for users, with every uniqueID code.

While navigating through a plurality of designations, this system makesuse of a nested name system, wherein the names are separated by dots.

For example, it would be difficult to define what a resource is atIP-address 213.243.106.84. But that resource has the designation, i.e.,domain name, of www.sport.ru.

The “ru” portion means that the website is in the Runet (Russian area ofthe Internet) area, and that it most likely comprises Russian text; the“sport” portion informs a user that this website is devoted to sportsubjects. Any Internet user, even an inexperienced one, who wants to getsports information, can enter this domain name in the search field ofhis/her browser and obtain the necessary information.

The system for allocating domain names has a disadvantage in that onlyone particular IP address can be matched to one unique letterdesignation.

A conventional method for entering and searching data on an object in aremote data base includes transmitting an object ID containing messagefrom a mobile communication terminal via the network of the GlobalSystem for Mobile Communications through a mobile network operator andby means of the Internet network to a server, then receiving that objectID containing message by the server, searching the object ID in theserver database, and, if found, transmitting a message on the locationof the object ID over the Internet via the Global System for MobileCommunications (GSM) network through a mobile network operator. (See,e.g., RU Patent 2248040, published on Mar. 10, 2005).

This method is carried out by coding messages transmitted by mobilecommunication devices and formed with the use of the classified indexpublished officially and distributed to the general public, where atleast one Section is prepared with the possibility of determining the IDof the object individual distinctive feature. A sender of such an IDtransmits a mobile communication message to a computer server havingsoftware used for converting such a message in a server database entryfor the purpose of transmitting it by a mobile communication message toat least one user. Alternatively, it is possible to search for at leastone entry in the server database that matches such a message, andtransmit the same to the message sender by at least one mobilecommunication message from the server. This particular system isdesigned for organizing an online dating system with the use of mobilecommunication terminals.

The objective of the conventional method is to offer to users thepossibility of fulfilling highly complex requests sent to a remotedatabase and obtaining large volumes of data on search subjects with theuse of mobile communication devices, including the possibility ofsatisfying demand and/or supply of goods and services in the market,irrespective of where and when such needs arise.

The shortcomings of the conventional method are:

1. When searching for data, it is necessary to enter a voluminous set ofadditional data (e.g., height, weight, sex, year of birth, occupation,etc.).

2. There is no possibility of searching for data by name, e.g., by goodstype, by last name, by activities fulfilled, or by various features ofan object. The system is not applicable for conducting searchesaccording to any and/or variable parameters.

3. While implementing the method, it is necessary to precisely define adata set on which a search may be conducted; further, there is nopossibility of conducting a search according to a parameter that is notset by the developers, e.g., by blood group, citizenship, residence,etc.

4. A large number of transmitted parameters is necessary for conductinga meaningful search, which results in overloading the server and themobile operator equipment, as well as in difficulties in decoding ofdata and reduced speeds while transmitting data needed by a user throughcommunication networks.

5. In order to use this method, it is necessary to have a publishedclassified index.

6. The possibility of voice communications between subscribers may notbe implemented in the conventional method, since all messages aretransmitted from mobile communication terminals as SMS-messages(SMS—short message service of a mobile network operator). Afterreceiving and processing incoming messages the server sends a messagestating “Marina, 24/167/54, would like to date you” to a man, and“Theodore, 31/176/76, would like to date you” to a woman, respectively.After receiving such a message, a recipient may obtain the sender's fullprofile from the remote database, exchange messages and appoint a datewithout disclosing their respective phone numbers and other contactinformation.

7. SMS-messages are used for conveying data, which requires thatterminal users should know numbers to which corresponding SMS-messagesshould be sent, thus complicating the use of this method.

In order to eliminate the above shortcomings, the proposed method doesnot use a system of abbreviated instructions and a fixed table from aclassified index.

Other conventional solutions in the mobile communication field likewisedo not also enable a user to enter and search for mobile communicationterminal subscriber objects by a totality of individual distinctivefeatures for the purpose of receiving a subscriber's phone number andmaking a voice call to him/her in a convenient way.

Also, phone network users are frequently in a position where they eitherdo not know or cannot remember the phone number of a needed subscriber;they know, for example, only the first name and the last name of asubscriber, or the name of the subscriber's organization or company.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention is directed to a method for entering and searching fordata regarding an object in a remote database, which would enable tospeed up searches, decrease volume of transmitted information, reduceload on the processor of a mobile communication terminal and on thetelecommunication networks and equipment, thus expanding functionalcapabilities, improving performance and ensuring voice calls tosubscribers for users of mobile communication terminals without thenecessity of knowing phone numbers and without storing such numbers inthe memory of a mobile communication terminal, i.e., in the organizer.

In order to achieve the above objects, it is proposed to modify theknown method of entering and searching for object data in a remotedatabase, which comprises transmitting an object ID containing messagefrom a mobile communication terminal via the network of the GlobalSystem for Mobile Communications through a mobile network operatorequipment and over the Internet to a server, receiving that object IDcontaining the message by the server, searching for the object ID in theserver database, and, if found, transmitting a message on the locationof the object ID to the mobile communication terminal, by installingsoftware, which enables to use a word as the object ID, on a mobilecommunication terminal and on a server and by using one wordcharacterizing the name/activity of a legal entity/individual as amessage containing the object ID.

Then, when searching for the object ID in the server database, theserver compares that word with domain names stored in the database, andif domain names are found such that at least a part of the domain namematches that word, transmits to the mobile communication terminal a listof domain names. Then, if the user selects a domain name from the list,the mobile communication terminal forms a message containing theselected domain name and transmits it to the server; the server conductsa complementary search for that domain name and the corresponding phonenumber (or an analogous identifier of a device in systems that use VOIP,such as Skype, SIP, etc.) of a subscriber; if the subscriber's phonenumber is found, the server transmits that number to the mobilecommunication terminal; and, if the user confirms that domainname/subscriber's phone number, on the mobile communication terminal,the software initiates communication with the subscriber's phone numbervia the Global System for Mobile Communications and a mobile networkoperator by making a voice call to the subscriber's phone number.

Certain additional embodiments of the method are possible, where:

-   -   after a voice call is completed, the software installed on a        mobile communication terminal initiates removal of the        subscriber's phone number from the list of outgoing calls and        from the mobile communication terminal memory;    -   several subscribers' phone numbers correspond to one domain name        in the database, which are for different time intervals in the        day or for geographical locations, and the server transmits a        subscriber's phone number to a mobile communication terminal,        depending on the time when the word is received;    -   a domain name or an e-mail address is used as the word.

The objective of the invention is to develop a method comprising thepossibility of initiating (making) a voice call by the user of a mobilecommunication terminal with the use of letter-dialing of a name,including a nickname (hereinafter Domain Mobile Name, or DMN) of aneeded subscriber (without using a local telephone directory stored inthe memory of the communication terminal or that of a SIM card, butprepared with the use of an ordered system for dynamically forming aname index).

Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth inthe description that follows, and in part will be apparent from thedescription, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Theadvantages of the invention will be realized and attained by thestructure particularly pointed out in the written description and claimshereof as well as the appended drawings.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description andthe following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and areintended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ATTACHED DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a furtherunderstanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and,together with the description, serve to explain the principles of theinvention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a general functional arrangement of the system forimplementing the proposed method;

FIG. 2 shows a functional arrangement of the server;

FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of the software for a mobile communicationterminal;

FIG. 4 shows a functional arrangement of a mobile communicationterminal.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The system for entering and searching for data on an object in a remotedatabase (FIG. 1) comprises a server 1 such as a computer with installedsoftware or several computers interconnected to form a network, whichare connected to the Internet. The server 1 is intended for storing adatabase where domain names (DMN, such as, for example, URLs or URIs,and/or email addresses) and subscribers' phone numbers are correlated.The server 1 processes requests coming from a user's mobilecommunication terminal 2 for searching DMN names, sends search resultsand receives requests for voice calls.

The server 1 also has software enabling the registration of DMN namesand storage of phone numbers corresponding to DMN names of varioussubscribers and their communication terminals 3.

The method makes use of a standard network 4 of a communicationsoperator. The network 4 of a communications operator includes aplurality of hardware and software units; the arrangement shown in FIG.1 illustrates only standard units that are directly used within thecontext of this discussion, namely, those forming equipment 5 of amobile operator and the mobile communication terminal 2 sending arequest.

The equipment 5 comprises a WAP/WEB gateway 6, whose function is tosupport two-way communication between the mobile communication terminal2 and the Internet, and a communication switch 7, which supportsstandard voice calls between communication terminals 3 (mobile orstationary) and the mobile communication terminal 2.

The mobile communication terminal 2 comprises a hardware unit 8 having aWAP/WEB transceiver 9, a voice transceiver 10, and a unit 11 forsoftware of the mobile communication terminal 2 designed forimplementing the method of entering and searching for data on an objectin a remote database. The hardware unit 8 is a part of the mobilecommunication terminal 2. Its detailed functional structure is shown inFIG. 4. In general, no particular restrictions are contemplated on themobile terminal 2, and the mobile terminal 2 can have a full range ofcapabilities of such devices, or a subset of them.

The WAP/WEB gateway 6 of the equipment 5 ensures communication betweenthe WAP/WEB transceiver 9 of the hardware unit 8 and the server 1. TheWEB/WAP transceiver 9 and a voice transceiver 10 are the transceivers ofthe mobile communication terminal 2 used for sending data to theequipment 5 of a communications operator, for example via a GSM network(Groupe Spécial Mobile, later renamed as the Global System for MobileCommunications, a standard for mobile digital communications). TheWEB/WAP transceiver 9 transmits data to the global Internet network (byusing the equipment 5 of a communications operator and a GSM network),and the voice transceiver 10 transmits voice data to the equipment 5 ofa communications operator through a GSM network.

For the purpose of achieving the stated technical effect, the method ofentering and searching for data on an object in a remote databaseincludes:

-   -   loading software 11 for implementing the method on a mobile        communication terminal to a flash memory device of the mobile        communication terminal 2. Such software may be installed on the        mobile communication terminal 2 from the Internet with the use        of the equipment 5 of an operator of mobile communications and a        GSM network, or from a computer (to which it may be also        downloaded from the Internet or from a CD) through an IR port of        a mobile phone, through a Bluetooth connection or a data cable,        or it may be installed directly from one mobile communication        terminal to another one through an IR-port or a Bluetooth        connection;    -   loading software implementing the method on a server to the        remote server 1;    -   remotely registering domain names through the Internet network        in the DMN names database and sets of corresponding phone        numbers owned by subscribers' to the communication terminals 3        in the server 1;    -   receiving/transmitting standard specialized data packages        through communication channels between the mobile communication        terminal 2 and the server 1 via a GSM network, the equipment 5        of a mobile operator and the Internet;    -   displaying actual menu items and necessary data in accordance        with data received from the server 1 on the monitor of the        mobile communication terminal by using its software unit 11;    -   initiating a voice call under a domain name selected by the user        from the mobile communication terminal 2 to a phone number of a        subscriber to the communication terminal 3.

The operating procedure according to one embodiment of the claimedmethod is as follows.

The user of the mobile communication terminal 2, while using any of theabove-described available methods, stores in the memory and installs thesoftware 11 enabling to enter and search for data on an object in aremote database on the flash memory of the mobile communicationterminal.

After the software is started by the user, the menu item is formed onthe display of the mobile communication terminal 2, which enables theuser to enter, by using the mobile terminal keypad, a word that is thename (a sequence of letters and symbols) of the subscribers' to whom theuser would like to connect via the mobile communication terminal, butwhose phone number is unknown to him.

After the word is entered, the user of the mobile communication terminal2 confirms that the entry is complete by pressing the key, to which the“Call” function is assigned by the software, on the mobile terminalkeypad.

In order to send the entered word, the mobile terminal user confirmsinitiation of GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) connection (or usinganother Internet-compatible protocol or technology, such as UMTS, CDMA,WiMax, Wi-Fi, etc.) with the equipment 5 of the communications operatorby pressing the key, to which the “YES” function is assigned by thesoftware, on the mobile terminal keypad. If connection is alreadyestablished, confirmation of GPRS connection initiation is not shown onthe display of the mobile communication terminal 2.

If the “YES” function is selected by a standard function of the mobilecommunication terminal 2, a GPRS channel is used for connection with theequipment 5 of a communications operator via a GSM network for thepurposes of logging on the mobile communication terminal 2 to the globalInternet network and connecting the mobile communication terminal 2 tothe server 1.

The server 1 receives the word sent to it from the equipment 5 via theInternet network and analyzes it by using the pre-installed software.

When analyzing a word, the server 1 first checks whether it is a DMNname (the proper syntax of a DMN name will be described below).

a. If a request is not a DMN name, then the server 1 searches thedatabase for any DMN names containing the word. If even one DMN name isfound, which comprises the word or which composition includes the word,then the server 1, by using the software, prepares a list of all DMNnames found and sends the list via the Internet network, the equipment 5of the communications operator and the GSM network to the mobilecommunication terminal that has initiated the request.

b. If no DMN names comprising the word from the request are found, thenthe server 1 sends a message, such as “No DMN name is found at therequest; please, change the request text and repeat the search”, via theInternet, the equipment 5 of the communications operator and the GSMnetwork to the mobile communication terminal 2 that has initiated therequest.

c. If a request is a DMN name, the server 1 searches the DMN namedatabase for a phone number of the subscriber to whom this DMN name isassigned. The server 1 conducts a search for a phone number according tothe algorithm described below. If a DMN name is found, which fullycoincides with the word in the request, then the server 1, by using itssoftware, sends the subscriber's phone number corresponding to the DMNname at that time.

d. If no DMN name is found that coincides with the word in the request,then the server 1 sends a message, such as, e.g., “The entered DMN nameis not registered; please, change the request text and repeat thesearch”, via the Internet network, the equipment 5 of the communicationsoperator and the GSM network to the mobile communication terminal 2 thathas initiated the request.

Note also that the search in the database may be broader than justdomain names, and may also include searching in other fields associatedwith the domain names, such as nicknames, short description, detaileddescription, geographic area, city, gender, age (if available), etc.

If the mobile communication terminal 2, which has initiated a request tothe server 1, receives the reply “a” from the latter via the Internetnetwork, the equipment 5 of the communications operator and the GSMnetwork, then the software of the mobile communication terminal 2 shows,with the use of the display and the menu, the received list of DNS nameson the mobile terminal display and asks the user of the mobilecommunication terminal 2 to select a DNS name from the list or enter aword for a new request by using the keypad and send it to the server 1by pressing the key, to which the “Call” function is assigned by thesoftware. After the user of the mobile communication terminal 2 selectsone of the DNS names shown on the display and presses the key, to whichthe “Call” function is assigned by the software on the keypad, themobile communication terminal 2 sends a request consisting of the DMNname selected by the user from the list shown on the display of themobile communication terminal 2 to the server 1 via the GSM network, theequipment 5 of the operator and the Internet network.

If the mobile communication terminal 2, which has initiated a request tothe server 1, received the reply “b” from the latter, then the mobilecommunication terminal 2, by using the software 11, shows on the displayof the mobile communication terminal 2 a text message, e.g., “No DMNname is found for this request; please, change the text in the requestand repeat the search”, and gives to the user a possibility of enteringa word for a new request and sending it to the server 1 by pressing thekey, to which the “Call” function is assigned by the software, on thekeypad of the mobile communication terminal 2.

If the mobile communication terminal 2, which has initiated a request tothe server 1, receives the reply “c” from the latter, then a textmessage, e.g., “Make a call to the found subscriber?”, appears on thedisplay of the mobile communication terminal. The user of the mobilecommunication terminal 2 is given the possibility of confirming a callby pressing the key, to which the “Call” function is assigned by thesoftware, on the keypad of the mobile communication terminal 2. Afterthe call initiation is confirmed, the mobile communication terminalinitiates a voice call to the subscriber's terminal 3, which number hasbeen received from the server 1 in reply to the request, via the GSMnetwork and the equipment 5 of the operator (this process is describedin more detail below). The called subscriber may be a subscriber in anycommunication network, whether mobile or stationary. The voice call maybe terminated either by the user of the mobile communication terminal,who presses the key, to which the “Stop” function is assigned by thesoftware, on the keypad, or by the equipment 5 of the communicationsoperator due to a communication failure or call termination on the sideof the called subscriber. When a voice call is terminated, the softwareof the mobile communication terminal 2 removes, through the processor,the last called subscriber's number from the mobile terminal RAM.

If the mobile communication terminal 2, which has initiated a request tothe server 1, received the reply “d” from the latter, then the mobilecommunication terminal 2, by using the software 11, shows on the displayof the mobile communication terminal 2 a text message, e.g., “Therequested DMN name is not registered; please, change the text in therequest and repeat the search”. The user is given a possibility ofentering a word for a new request and sending it to the server 1 bypressing the key, to which the “Call” function is assigned by thesoftware, on the keypad of the mobile communication terminal 2.

When the software, which enables to enter and search for data on anobject in a remote database, completes its work, the user of a mobilecommunication terminal resumes using the standard dialing mode forsubscribers' numbers.

The server 1 works as follows (FIG. 2).

The unit 12, being the unit for receiving/sending, receives a word sentto the server 1 from the mobile communication terminal 2 for searchingfor DMN names and transmits it to the unit 13 for initial analysis.

The receiving/sending unit 12 assigns a unique numeric identifier (e.g.,1230994372), which is also transmitted to the unit 13 for initialanalysis. Thereafter, in the process of searching for data, the requestand its unique numeric identifier are maintained together. This is doneso that the unit 12 can exactly determine to which mobile communicationterminal 2 search results should be sent after they are received by thereceiving/sending unit 12 from the result collection unit 14 in respectof the search word sent.

Any incoming request is analyzed in the unit 13. A request is checkedfor correct syntax of the DMN name.

The correct syntax of a DMN name should be:

“name of N-level”“.”“name of N-1-level”“.” . . . “.” “name of 2ndlevel”“.”“name of 1st level”,

where N is a natural number;

“name”—a part of a DMN description, which is separated from the otherpart of DMN by dot.

For example: “spartakfk.moscow.ru”, where:

“ru”—name of 1st level,

“moscow”—name of 2nd level,

“spartakfk”—name of 3rd level.

This example will be used in the description of the other units.

If during the text check in the initial analysis unit 13 it is foundthat the text of the word in the request does not correspond to thecorrect syntax for a DMN name, then the request word is transmitted bythe initial analysis unit 13 to the input “A” of the result collectionunit 14.

The unit 14 has a list of all DMN names in the database for DMN names ofthe server 1. If data to the unit comes via the input “A” from the unit13, then the unit 14 searches for all DMN names comprising at least apart of the request word, forms a list of all DMN names found andtransmits it to the receiving/sending unit 12 for further transmittingit to the mobile communication terminal 2 that has initiated therequest. If no DMN name comprising the request word is found, then theunit 12 sends, instead of a list of DMN names, a text, such as “No DMNname is found at this request, change the request word and repeat thesearch”, for further transmitting it to the mobile communicationterminal 2 that has initiated the request.

If, during the text check in the initial analysis unit 13, it is foundthat the text of the word in the request corresponds to the correctsyntax for a DMN name, then the initial analysis unit 13 analyzes whichof the units 15.X for searching for names of the 2nd level (where X isthe number of registered names of the 1st level) has information on thename of the first level (in the above example it is the name “ru”) andtransmits data on the searched DMN name to this unit (supposing that inthis example the name “ru” is stored in Unit 15.2).

If the initial analysis unit 13 cannot find a unit 15.X having data on afirst-level word, then the request is considered as a request for asearch and returned by the initial analysis unit 13 to the resultcollection unit 14 to the input “A”.

The units 15.X (where X is the number of registered names of the firstlevel) for searching names of the 2nd level analyze names of the 2ndlevel. This unit receives separately a name of the 1st level from theunit 13, which is then compared to the data contained in the unit inorder to confirm correctness of transition and the DMN name for furtheranalyzing the name of the 2nd level (“moscow” in this example).

For the above example the unit 15.2 for searching for names of the 2ndlevel, while analyzing a DMN name, analyzes which of the units 15.2.M(where M is the number of 2nd-level names registered for the name “ru”of the 1st level) for searching for names of the 3rd level hasinformation on the name of the 2nd level (“moscow” in our example) andtransmits information of the searched DMN name to this unit. In thisexample, the unit 15.2.1 has such information).

If the unit 15.2 for searching for names of the 2nd level cannot findthe unit 15.2.M having information on the name of the second level, thensuch a request is considered as a search request and is returned to theinitial analysis unit 13 for further transmitting it to the resultcollection unit 14 to the input “A”.

The unit 15.2.1 for searching for 3rd level names in the example carriesinformation on which names of 3rd level are assigned to the DMN name“moscow.ru”, and which phone numbers correspond to those DMN names atany particular time. This unit contains information that thesubscriber's number +7495XXXXXXX (or several numbers) corresponds to theDMN name “spartakfk.moscow.ru” at this time.

If the unit 15.2.M for searching for 3rd level names cannot findinformation on a DMN name corresponding to a request, then such arequest is considered as a search request and is returned to the unit15.2 for searching for 2nd level names, which returns the request to theinitial analysis unit 13 for further transmitting it to the resultcollection unit 14 to the input “A”.

A subscriber's phone number corresponding to the DMN name is transmittedby the unit 15.2.1 for searching for 3rd level names to the resultcollection unit 14 to the input “B”, to which data for sending iscollected from all units participating in a search. The resultcollection unit 14 transmits gathered information to thereceiving/sending unit 12 for further transmitting it to the mobilecommunication terminal 2, which has initiated the request.

The proposed method differs from the domain name system used in the

Internet network in that a domain name is not used for finding a singleIP address of a server, and registered domain names are used for findingcorresponding phone number(s). Moreover, in contrast to common searchsystems on the Internet, which enable finding websites containing agiven word and visiting such websites, the claimed method analyzes thelocation of a domain name corresponding at least to a part of the word,rather than that of the word itself. For example, for“spartakfk.moscow.ru” a user may be given the following names from alist: “sparta.moscow.ru”, “spart.moscow.ru”, “spar.moscow.ru”,“sp.moscow.ru”, etc., if no correct domain name is found in thedatabase. When sending the word “spartak” to the server 1, a user may begiven a complete list of words containing the name “spartak”, both legalentities and individuals, such as: “spartakfk.moscow.ru”,“spartakoff.moscow.ru”, “spartakiada.moscow.ru”, etc.

It may be noted that the method may be used not only as a search method,and if a user knows the exact name of a domain name or an e-mailaddress, this may be used directly for calling that subscriber. In thatcase, a search for the number of the called subscriber's mobilecommunication terminal 3 is performed in the database of the server 1,and the connection between the initial analysis unit 13 and the resultcollection unit 14 is not used.

Thus, if the user of the mobile communication terminal 2 enters, forexample, the word “spartak” for a search, then, depending on domainnames registered in the database of the server 1, he may receive acomplete list of domain names relating to different levels, e.g.:

“spartakfk.moscow.ru”

“spartakbk.omsk.ru”

“spartak.golfclub.ru”

“spartak.continent.fr”

“spartakoff.furnitur.us”

etc.

If the user confirms his selection of one domain name from the list atthe mobile communication terminal, a connection to the subscriber'sphone number will be initiated and a voice call will be made, as above.

A user, without knowing a particular subscriber's phone number, mayconnect to various organizations, e.g., government authorities, shops,medical clinics, enterprises, etc., which are registered at the server1. A user may be also connected to individuals, and for this he shouldenter at his mobile communication terminal the following words“konstantin.petrovich.ivanov”. If Konstantin Petrovich Ivanov isregistered at the server 1 as a subscriber, then the user may make avoice call to him. The voice call can be made using any combination ofwireless, landline, VoIP, such as SIP, Skype, etc. technologies. Thesubscriber can be given the option of which connecting mechanism is used(e.g., least expensive, best connection quality, most reliable etc.).

If several subscribers with matching first and last names are registeredat the server, then an additional tag, such as occupation, age, etc.,may be introduced into a domain name. The sender of such a message maybe given a list of domain names “konstantin.petrovich.ivanov-doctor”,“konstantin.petrovich.ivanov-18age”, etc. Thus, in order to conduct asearch it will be sufficient for a user to enter a word or a group ofwords characterizing the name or activity of a legal entity or anindividual.

Due to the fact that the claimed method is applicable in practically anygeographic territory where a mobile network operator is available, anadditional unit (not shown in FIG. 2, may be included in the initialanalysis unit 13) for analyzing an approximate location and a time of arequest from the user of a mobile communication terminal may be includedfor the purpose of giving actual numbers of searched subscribers to theusers of mobile communication terminals 2. The location can bedetermined, for example, (a) based on an IP address of the mobileterminal 2, given the mobile terminal 2 by the operator of the mobilenetwork, (b) based on a GPS signal processed by the application in themobile terminal 2 and transmitted together with the word, or separately,(c) based on Cell ID data, (d) based on IP address given to the mobileterminal 2 by a Wi-Fi network, if the mobile terminal is connected usingWi-Fi, or similar technology, etc.

Two different users of the mobile communication terminal 2, presentingone and the same request, e.g., “Toyota.ru” at one and the same time,for example at 12:00 Moscow time, will be given different subscribers'phone numbers in Moscow and in Vladivostok. The subscriber to the mobilecommunication terminal 2 in Moscow will receive the number of theterminal 3 of the Toyota representative office in Moscow. The subscriberto the mobile communication terminal 2 in Vladivostok will receive thephone number of the terminal 3 of the automatic Call-center of theToyota representative office in Vladivostok, because it will be 4:00 AMin Vladivostok.

The request time is determined by the fact of receiving a request by thesystem, and an approximate location of the subscriber to the terminal 2is determined by an IP-address of the terminal 2, which is assigned tothe latter by the mobile network operator.

Furthermore, the database of the server 1 may store several phonenumbers for one domain name. For example, if a user has connected to ashop at 12:00, i.e., during business hours, the phone number of thestore's sales department will be given to him, but if it is 1:00 AM,then the phone number of the store's security service or the answeringmachine will be given to him. And, if making a voice call to asubscriber's phone number when it is busy, the server 1 may propose tomake a voice call to another phone number of that domain name.

Thus, the database of the server 1 may have several subscriber's phonenumbers for different time intervals of the day or for geographiclocations, and the server 1 will transmit a subscriber's phone number tothe mobile communication terminal 2, depending on the time of thereceived message, i.e., a word.

The control over the mobile communication terminal 2, which is performedby the software 11 (FIG. 1) enabling to enter letter designation of asubscriber, is exercised according to the following algorithm (FIG. 3).

After starting the software 11 (FIG. 1), the control over the mobilecommunication terminal 2 is transferred to the request entering unit 20(FIG. 3).

The request entering unit 20 proposes to the user of the mobilecommunication terminal 2 through the menu on the display to enter arequest word by using the keypad. After the request word is entered, theuser of the mobile communication terminal 2 confirms the end of enteringby pressing the key on the keypad, to which the “Call” function isassigned by the software, and then the control over the mobilecommunication terminal 2 is transferred to the GPRS initiation unit 21.

The GPRS initiation unit 21 checks whether the mobile communicationterminal 2 has established the connection to the equipment 5 of themobile operator. If the GPRS connection is already established, then thecontrol over the mobile communication terminal 2 is transferred to theunit 23 for data receiving/transmitting from/to the server 1.

If the GPRS connection is not established, a menu text, which states thenecessity of confirming initiation of the GPRS connection to theequipment 5 of the mobile operator, is shown on the display of themobile communication terminal 2. The user of the mobile communicationterminal 2 confirms initiation of the GPRS connection to the equipment 5of the mobile operator by pressing the key on the keypad, to which the“YES” function is assigned by the software 11, otherwise the controlover the mobile communication terminal 2 is returned to the unit 20.

The data receiving/transmitting unit 23 (transceiver), using the GPRSconnection between the mobile communication terminal 2 and the equipment5 of the mobile operator sends the request word via the GSM network tothe server 1 for an analysis and waits for a reply from the server 1.

When a reply to the request is received from the server 1 via theInternet network, the equipment 5 of the operator and the GSM network,the unit 23 checks whether the reply to the request is a subscriber'sphone number. If the reply is not a subscriber's phone number, then thecontrol over the communication terminal 2 (mobile or stationary) istransferred to the “No” unit 22, otherwise the control over the mobilecommunication terminal 2 is transferred to the “Call” unit 24.

If the “No” unit 22 is in operation, the message received from theserver 1 will be shown on the display of the mobile communicationterminal 2 through the menu. If a text message is received, it is shownon the display of the mobile communication terminal 2, and pressing anykey on the keypad transfers the control over the mobile communicationterminal 2 to the request entering unit 20. If a received message is inthe form of a list, then the list is shown on the display of the mobilecommunication terminal 2, and the user of the mobile communicationterminal 2 is given the possibility of selecting any DMN name from thelist with the use of the keypad. If the user of the mobile communicationterminal 2 selects one of the DMN names by pressing the key on thekeypad, to which the “Call” function is assigned by the software, the“No” unit 22 will transfer the control over the mobile communicationterminal 2 to the unit 23 and will write the DMN name selected by themobile communication terminal 2 into the request text for subsequentsending it by the transceiver unit 23 to the server 1.

When the unit 24 is in operation, a voice call will be made to thesubscriber having the phone number received from the server 1. The callwill be made by the standard means of the mobile communication terminal2 through transmitting the called subscriber's phone number to theequipment 5 of the mobile network operator via a GSM network, initiatingconnection to the subscriber by the equipment 5 of the mobile networkoperator, and connecting to the subscriber's terminal via the switch 7of the equipment 5 and the GSM network (FIG. 1). During conversation theuser of the mobile communication terminal 2 uses its standard functions.After conversation is finished, the control over the mobilecommunication terminal 2 will be transferred to the correction unit 25.

The proposed method also permits searching the database on the serverside of the number of the communications terminal (for example, atelephone number or other ID), to determine the DMN name to which aparticular phone number is tied. Since the same number can be tied todifferent DMN names (i.e., on the prince of “one-to-many”), thefollowing rule can be applied:

When making an outgoing call from a communications terminal (such as amobile or stationary communications terminal) with the softwaredescribed herein installed, the user can specify which DMN name heconsiders to be the primary, in order to display the DMN on the mobilecommunications terminal that receives the call.

When making an outgoing call from a mobile communications terminal thatdoes not have the software installed, or when the caller did not specifywhich DMN name he considers the primary one, the display screen of themobile communications terminal that receives the call can display a listof DMN names that correspond to the phone number of the user making thecall (and, optionally, text and/or graphical information associated withthose DMN names, in other words, a form of caller ID that referencesdomain names, rather than people names or organization names, which iswhat is done conventionally). In this case, the user of the receivingterminal can itself decide which DMN name to display in subsequent phonecalls, when receiving a call from this telephone number.

Generally, as used herein, the number of the communications terminal isa unique identifier used within the network (e.g., mobile, stationary,VOIP, etc.) to identify the communications terminal 2.

Note also that the present invention can be used with backcalls, wherethe user of the communications terminal identifies the domain name withwhich he desires to connect, and the owner of the domain is thencommunicated some information about the user of the communicationterminal (e.g., his phone number, name, corresponding domaininformation, etc.). In this case, the cost of the call is borne by theback-calling subscriber.

Due to the fact that a standard function in most mobile communicationterminals 2 is creating a list of the last ten subscribers called, thesoftware 11 of the mobile communication terminal 2, when the correctionunit 25 is used, removes, by using the processor, the last dialedsubscriber's number from the random-access memory (RAM) unit. Thisremoval is carried out in order to comply with the privacy rights ofindividuals not to disclose confidential information about themselves, aphone number being such information. Then, control over the mobilecommunication terminal 2 is again transferred to the request enteringunit 20.

The mobile communication terminal 2 needed for implementing the claimedmethod is not practically changed (FIG. 4), only the software 11 shouldbe installed in the flash memory unit.

The mobile communication terminal 2 (FIG. 4) comprises a housing 30, aprocessor 31, installed within the housing 30, a transceiver 32,random-access memory (RAM) unit 33, a signal processing unit 34 madewith a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) 35 and an analog-to-digitalconverter (ADC) 36, a flash-memory unit 37 intended for loading softwareand files, a keypad 38, a display 39, a microphone 40 and a speaker 41,all installed within the housing 30, the input/output of the transceiver32, the input/output of the random-access memory unit 33, theinput/output of the analog-to-digital converter 36, the input/output ofthe digital-to-analog converter 35, the input/output of the flash-memoryunit 37, the output of the keypad 38 and the input of the display 39 areconnected to the processor 31 through a bus 42, the output of themicrophone 40 is connected to the analog-to-digital converter 36 throughthe bus 42, the input of the speaker 41 is connected to thedigital-to-analog converter 35 through the bus 42, and the software ismade with the possibility of controlling the processor 31, the display39 and the speaker 41 through the keypad 38 and the menu on the display39, the software being made with the possibility of entering a word withthe use of the keypad 38 and is intended for searching for data on anobject in a remote database. FIG. 4 also shows a battery 43 connected tothe bus 42.

The mobile communication terminal (FIG. 4) works as follows.

A high-frequency transceiver 32 is, for example, a first-classtransmitter-receiver of the mobile communication terminal 2, whichtransmits and receives radio signals. The processor 31 controlsoperation of the functional units of the mobile communication terminal 2according to the instructions stored as software in the flash-memoryunit 37. The keypad 38 enables the user to control the mobilecommunication terminal 2, as described above, by moving along theembedded menu and initiating execution of some or other commands. Thedisplay 39 may show commands and action variants available to the user.

The flash-memory unit 37 is used for downloading the software 11 madewith the possibility of controlling the operation of the processor 32,the RAM unit 34 (for transmitting search results thereto) and thedisplay 39 of the mobile communication terminal.

The software 11 may be a multiplatform Java application or a programapplication in another format, which is suitable for the operationsoftware 11 used at a given mobile communication terminal 2 and adaptedfor a particular model of the mobile communication terminal 2.

As noted earlier, software may be downloaded through the unit forplugging in computer peripheral devices or through other means. The usermay be required to perform additional actions for installing and settingup the software 11. After installation, a link to the installed software11 appears in the general menu of the applications installed on themobile communication terminal 2.

The user's actions on sending and receiving corresponding messages forthe purpose of implementing the claimed method have been described insufficient detail earlier.

The claimed invention enables the user of the mobile communicationterminal 2 to initiate a phone call to another communication terminal 3,to a subscriber, whom he wishes to communicate to without knowing hisphone number, but having only information on the form of theorganization or on the name, including a nickname, of an individual,which are arranged with the use of an ordered system for dynamicallyforming a classified domain name index stored at the server 1. Themethod provides for the alphabetic dialing of the subscriber's name,rather than the numeric one. Note that the call may be anonymous in bothdirections—neither party will know the phone number of the other party,or may be anonymous only in the sense that the caller will not know therecipient's number, but the recipient of the call will know the caller'snumber. As yet a further option, the initiator of the call knows therecipient's phone number, but the recipient does not know the phonenumber of the initiator of the call.

As yet a further option, the user's telephone/mobile terminal canmaintain a history of searches, and the user, when doing a new search,can look through the history and select the same search that has alreadybeen performed. Also, upon finding any DTN name, the user can add theDTN name to the list of his contacts in the mobile terminal, so that inthe future, he can perform the call directly without performing anyfurther searches. Also, an additional version of the search can beperformed based on words or text description specified by the owner ofthe DTN name.

Additionally, when the first message/search request is sent to theserver, the server can also supply a matching advertisement to theuser's mobile terminal, for example, in the form of a text ad, a banner,a video clip, etc., while the server is searching for the DTN name. Theadvertisement can be displayed while the server is searching for the DTNname, or for a specified time period. The advertisements can also besaved on the mobile terminal, and displayed again, in conjunction withthe appropriate search request, when the user makes the same requestagain. The advertisement can be associated with a DTN name and with aphone number (either displayed in the ad, or not displayed), so that theuser can call the number in the advertisement (for example, to purchasethe advertised product) by, e.g., clicking on the ad on a touchscreen.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The claimed method for entering and searching for data on an object in aremote database may be most successfully used in GSM mobilecommunication systems.

Having thus described a preferred embodiment, it should be apparent tothose skilled in the art that certain advantages of the described methodand apparatus have been achieved. It should also be appreciated thatvarious modifications, adaptations and alternative embodiments thereofmay be made within the scope and spirit of the present invention. Theinvention is further defined by the following claims.

1. A method for connecting a telephone call, the method comprising:receiving, at a server, from a communication terminal, a first messageincluding at least one word corresponding to a name of an individual oran organization, wherein the first message is transmitted using anInternet-compatible protocol; searching for the at least one word in aserver database; at the server, comparing the at least one word withdomain names stored in the database and, if domain names are found suchthat at least a part of the domain name matches the at least one word,transmitting to the communication terminal a list of domain names, eachdomain name including an identifier of an Internet resource; receiving,at the server, a second message containing the domain name selected bythe user from the list; at the server, identifying a phone numberassociated with the selected domain name; at the server, transmittingthe phone number to the communication terminal; and connecting thecommunication terminal to the phone number via a communications network.2. The method of claim 1, wherein the connecting step uses a VoIPconnection.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications networkis a GSM network.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein, after the voicecall is completed, software installed on a communication terminalremoves the phone number received from the server from the communicationterminal memory.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein multiple subscribers'phone numbers correspond to a single domain name in the server database,with different phone numbers corresponding to different time intervalsof the day, different days of the week, different months, current year,or different geographical locations, and wherein the server transmits aselected subscriber's phone number to the user's communication terminal,depending on the time when the first or second message is received andcurrent geographic location of the mobile communications terminal. 6.The method of claim 1, wherein, if the at least one word matches asingle domain name or a single e-mail address, the selecting step andthe second search are omitted and the user is connected to thesubscriber via the voice call.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein thedomain name is part of a URL.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein thedomain name is part of a URI.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein theconnection is made based on selection, by the user of the communicationterminal, of least expensive connection mode.
 10. The method of claim 1,wherein the connection is made based on selection, by the user of thecommunication terminal, of a cost of connection.
 11. The method of claim1, wherein the connection is made based on selection, by the user of thecommunication terminal, of quality of the connection.
 12. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the transmitting step also transmits an advertisementto the communication terminal.
 13. The method of claim 1, wherein theword includes a telephone number of a subscriber, and the search in thedatabase identifies domain names corresponding the telephone number. 14.A method for connecting a mobile telephone call, the method comprising:receiving, at a server, from a communication terminal, a first messageincluding at least one word corresponding to a name of an individual oran organization, wherein the first message is transmitted using anInternet-compatible protocol; searching for the at least one word in aserver database; at the server, comparing the at least one word withdata stored in the database, the data including any of domain names,nicknames, owner information, and description of the domain, and, if atleast a part of the data matches the at least one word, transmitting tothe communication terminal a list of domain names, each domain nameincluding an identifier of an Internet resource; receiving, at theserver, a second message containing the domain name selected by the userfrom the list; at the server, identifying a phone number associated withthe selected domain name; at the server, transmitting the phone numberto the communication terminal; and connecting the communication terminalto the phone number via a communications network.
 15. The method ofclaim 14, wherein, after the voice call is completed, software installedon a communication terminal removes the phone number received from theserver from the communication terminal memory.
 16. The method of claim14, wherein multiple subscribers' phone numbers correspond to a singledomain name in the server database, with different phone numberscorresponding to different time intervals of the day, different days ofthe week, different months, current year, or different geographicallocations, and wherein the server transmits a selected subscriber'sphone number to the user's communication terminal, depending on the timewhen the first or second message is received and current geographiclocation of the mobile communications terminal.
 17. The method of claim14, wherein, if the at least one word matches a single domain name or asingle e-mail address, the selecting step and the second search areomitted and the user is connected to the subscriber via the voice call.18. The method of claim 14, wherein the connection is made based onselection, by the user of the communication terminal, of a leastexpensive connection mode.
 19. The method of claim 14, wherein thetransmitting step also transmits an advertisement to the communicationterminal.
 20. The method of claim 14, wherein the word includes atelephone number of a subscriber, and the search in the databaseidentifies domain names corresponding the telephone number.